Teaching Philosophy and Principles

 

        General Statement

 

        Educating students to be successful in the 21st century is a task for everyone on campus, not only the instructor.

 

        Guiding Principles

 

1.          Make a connection with the individual student.  Find out about their goals and aspirations. Find out about their academic fears.

        Take an interest in the person.

 

2.      Involve students in knowledge discovery by ensuring that they are not simply recipients of information, but researchers, and discovers of information.

 

3.      Expect students to take responsibility for their learning.

 

4.      Expect students to demonstrate skill sets and the acquisition of knowledge.

 

5.      Design challenging assignments that bring into play prior knowledge and involves real-world scenarios.

 

6.      Present opportunities for group work, discussion, and reflection.

 

7.      Cultivate a climate of inquiry without fear of failure.

 

8.      Encourage respect for academic learning.

 

9.      Give opportunities for students to problem solve, apply concepts and demonstrate  knowledge transference.

 

10.  Encourage students to respect class colleagues, the instructor, and diverse cultural groups.

 

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